Automatic drifting device for locomotives



Patented Aug. 7, 1923.

tlhll'lED STATES BYRON L. HANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC DRIFTING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed April 23, 1920. Serial No. 376,065.

To all "u: 710 211. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BYRON L. HANSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Drifting Devices for Locomotives. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invent on relates to improvements in automatic drifting devices for locomotives, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a drifting device for a locomotive which will be automatically operated when the throttle of the locomotive engine has been closed while the locomotive is in motion, thereby permitting a flow. of dry steam through the engine valve chamber and cylinder, thus preventing. cinders, soot, and the like from being deposited in the valve chamber and cylinder and providing a cushion of steam therein.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that automatically becomes inoperative when the throttle of theengine is opened or the locomotive is stopped.

A further object of my invention is to provide a. device of the type described that can be readily applied to a locomotive engine 01 an ordinary construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that is relatively simple in construction and operation, and which is not likely to get out of order easily.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. forming part of this application, in which- 1 is diagrammatic view of a portion of a locomotive engine to which the device has been applied, the device being shown in side elevation, portions being broken away and other portions being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View of an enlarged portionof the device,

Fig. 3 is an orthographic projection along the line of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a detailed View of a portion of the device.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a locomotive engine 1 provided with a cylinder 2 having a valve chest 3 mounted thereon. Steam is admitted to the valve chest 3 in an ordinary manner, no means therefor being shown in the accompanying drawings, and is distributed to the cylinder 2 through the ports a and 5 Piston valves 6 and 7 which are rigidly secured to the piston valve rod 8 and which are reciprocated in the valve chest 3 to control the distribution of steam to the cylinder 2, are provided with piston rings 12 and 13. A piston 9, provided with a piston ring 11, is rigidly secured to the piston rod 10 and is reciprocated within the cylinder 2 by the action of the steam which has been admitted through the ports 4 and 5.

The parts described so far are of ordinary construction and form no part of my invention except in so far as they cooperate with the parts to be hereinafter described.

The operation of the parts already described is well known in the art. The exhaust steam from the cylinder is conducted in any ordinary manner to the smoke box (not shown) of an engine and is allowed to escape up the smoke stack. Consequently when the throttle is closed and the engine is in motion, oinders, dust, soot. and the like will be drawn into the valve chest and the cylinder, forming a deposit therein and interfering seriously with the operation of the piston 9 and the piston valves 6 and 7.

I provide a casing 14: having ends .19 and 20. The casing 14 is best seen in Fig. 2 oi the accompanying drawings and is mounted upon the valve chest 3, being maintained thereon by any suitable fastening means, none being shown in the accompanying drawings. A partition 15 is disposed within the casing 14 and may be formed integrally with the walls of the casing. An air chamber 16 and a vertical chamber 17 are thus provided. The vertical chamber 17 has its lower end open and in registration with an opening 18, which is formed in the wall of the valve chest 3, thereby permitting the live steam to flow into an enlarged portion 21 of the vertical chamber 17. The pressure of the steam tends to maintain the piston valve 22 against a valve seat 22'.

A piston 23 is disposed. in the upper end of the vertical chamber 17 and is rigidly secured to a rod 2 in any suitable manner, as by means of a nut 25, which is screwed on the end of the rod 2%. The other end. of the rod is connected at 26 by a swivel joint with an end of a second rod. 27, which is rigidly secured to the piston valve 22 by means of a nut 28, thereby rigidly connecting the piston valve 22 with the piston 23 in such a manner as to permit a rotatable movement of the piston valve 22. It will be noted that the rod 2-l extends through the opening, 29 in a horizontal partition 30 which is formed integrally with the walls of the chamber 1'? or may be secured therein in any suitable manner. A pin 31 is inserted transversely through the rod 24 and a spring 32 is disposed between the projecting ends of the pin 31 and the partition 30, thereby tending to maintain the piston valve 22 against the valve seat 22.

A substantially rectangular frame-like ex tension 33 is formed integrally with the partition 15 to project within the air chamber 16. It is obvious that the frame-like extension 33 could be formed separately and igidly secured to the partition 15 by any suitable fastening means. A valve plate M is disposed within the rectangular framelike extension 33 and is maintained therein by a spring member 3?, which is secured at its middle to the valve plate by means of a bolt 38 and has its ends arrangedto press against the inner surface of a bar 35, which is secured at 36 to the frame-like e2; tension 33. he valve plate 3-1- is formed with a recess 41 in its inner surface and also with a Ll-shaped groove 42 located above the recess 41. The partition 15 has a slot 39 formed therethrough which is greater in extent than the recess 4L1. A pin 4L0 has one end rigidly connected with the rod 2s and is arranged to extend at right angles thereto in such a manner that its other end extends through the slot 39 and is received within the recess 41. An a'r passage 43 in the partition 15 connnunicates at one end with the U-shaped groove 42 when the valve plate -ll is in the position pictured in Fig.

2 of the accompanying drawings extends through the casing 1%. A second air pas. sage 4:4- is positioned with respect to the air l3 so that it communicates with the other end of the U-shaped groove 42 when the passage a3 is in communication with the latter. The passage 44: opens into the chamber 17 between the piston 23 and the adjacent wall oi the casing 14cv The air chamber 17 is also provided with an air outlet which is positioned between the piston 23 and the adjacent wall of the casing 14-. The outlet pipe 45- eXtends to a casing 46. (see Fig. l) which is secured. to a portion of the locomotive engine by means of a brackets?? or in any other suitable manner. A piston 60 is disposed within the casil'ig 46 and is maintained in the position pictured in Fig. 1 by means of a spring 49 which is arranged about a stem 1-8. The end of the stem 48 is pivotally connected at to a lever- 50 which is l ulcrumed at 51. The other end of the lever 50 is pivotally connected at 53 to a stem 54: which extends within a steam chamber and is rigidly connected to a valve (31 which is disposed therein. This valve controls the flow of live steam through the pipe 57. The live steam passes through a pipe 56 into the steam chamber 55. The pipe 56 is connected to a source of steam supply (not shown) which is provided in a locomotive engine oil an ordinary construction. It is to be noted that the pipe 57 communicates at, 58 with the valve chest 8. i

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. While the throttle remains open and the piston valves (3 and 7 and the piston 9 are being reciprocatedin an ordinary manner by the pressure of live steam, the piston valve 22 will be maintained in the position shown in Fig. 2. Consequently the other portions of the device shown in Fig. 2 will remain in the positions pictured therein. hen the throttle is closed while the locomotive is in motion, as when coasting down grade, the live steam will no longer pass into the valve chest 3, although the valve pistons 6 and 7 and the piston 9 will be reciprocated so long as the locomotive is in motion. The live steam within the valve chest 3 and the cylinder 2 will. be drawn therefrom in the exhaust. The suction created by the draft will overcome the tension of the spring 32. thereby causing the piston 22 to move downwardly. lt will be noted that the pin 40 can he moved downwardly a spaced distance be- ?"ore the valve plate 34L will be moved.

When, however, the pin 40 has been moved downwardly beyond that distance, the valve plate 341: will also be moved, thereby per mitting the flow of COIIIPIGSSGCl'ill]? through the air passage l4; into the space between the piston 23 and the wall of the casing 1 1-. It is to be noted that the air inlet pipe 59 communicating; with the air chamber 14 extends to an air reservoir (not shown) that is ordinarily provided in a locomotive steam engine and that the air chamber l l is in fact an auxiliary reservoir for air under pressure. The pressure of the air against the piston 23 will tend to hold the same in its downward position. when the live steam has all been driven from the valve chest 3 and the cylinder 2. Otherwise. since there would no longer be a suction to maintain the valve piston 22 in its. downward position, the latter would bemoved against its seat by the tension of the spring 32. i

The air tromithe air chamber 16, which has passed into the upper-end oi the chamber 17, passes through the pipe 45 into the casing and operates the piston (50 against the tension of the spring The lever 50 operates the valve 61 in the steam chamber 55, thereby permitting the passage of dry steam through the steam pipe 5? into the valve chest 'Dry steam passing); therein will drivg cinners, soot, and the like, from the valve chest and from the cylinder 2. lhe dry steam also passes into the enlarged portion 21 oi the chamber 17 and presses against the piston valve 22. l/V hen theupward pressure of the dry steam against the piston valve 22 overcomes the downward air pressure against the piston 23, the piston valve will be moved upwardly against its seat 22, thereby moving the valve plate 3st upwardly. The Ushapcd groove d2 will then communicate with the air passages l3 and as, as pictured in the accompanying drawings. Air can no longer flow from the air chamber 16 to the chamber 17. Any

steam which has penetrated within the chamber 17 as well as the compressed air in that chamber escapes through the air passage 4A, the groove 42, and the passage 43, since the latter extends through the casing 14:. A sutlicient quantity of dry steam will remain within the valve chest 3 and the cylinder 2 to provide a cushion for the pistons when thethrottle is again opened.

an cinders, soot. dust, and the like, are

driven from the valve chest 3 and the cylinder 2 and cannot form a coating for the piston would otherwise be the case. It is obvious that many modifications and adaptations of the "form of the device illustratcd in the accompanying; drawings may be 'irovidcd without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set torth in the forego ng: disclosure and outlined more particularly n the appended claims. ll. therefore consider such modifications and adaptations as my own.

.ln service, a check valve 62 would be provided in the pipe 57 to prevent the passage oi steam from the valve chest to the steam chest Tiihewise, a cock or the like would be disposed in the pipe 57 to control the passage of steam therethrough.

I claim:

i. In reciprocatingsteam engine provided with the usual steam chest, the coml'llllfllllOll of an auxiliary steam supply line leadingto the steam chest, a valve interposed in the steam supply line, a casing supported adjacent to the valve chest and divided by a transverse partition into a reservoir for a pressure fluid and a valve chamber communicating at one end with the steam chest, said valve chamber hcinc' divided. by a transverse partition into two compartments and said first named partition being formed with a passage therethrough leadin from the storage. reservoir to the compartment of the valve chamber remote :l'roin the steam chest, a valve controlling the passage of a pressure lluid from the storage reservoir into the upper compartment of the valve chamber, adili'erential piston valve operatively connected with the last named val. and means arranged becc aen the val c in the steam supply line and the irtment oi the valve chamber remote from the steam chest for controlling); the operation of the former, said last named means being arranged to be actuated by the pressure fluid passing through the said compartment at times to occasion the opening; of the valve in the steam supply line. i

2. The combination with the steam 01": a locomotive engine, or a casing supported adjacent to the steam chest, said casing being; divided by a vertical partition into a reservoir for a compressed fluid, and a valve chamber, said valve chamber being dividedby a horizontal partition into an upper compartment and a lower compart ment, said lower compartment being arranged to communicate with said steam chcst, said vertical partition being; formed with a passage therethrough leading from the reservoir to the upper compartment of the valve chamber, with a second passage communicating at one end with the valve chamber and being open at its other end to the atmosphere, and with a vertical slot therethrough positioned adjacent to the said passages, a valve plate maintained in slidable contact with the first named partition and formed with a groove in its inner face adapted to communicate at times with the first and second named passages through the vertical partition, a piston valve normally seated in the lower compartment of the valve chamber, a piston reciprocitively disposed. in the upper compartment. a stem chest slidably rceived in an openin j; in said horizontal partition and connecting the piston and the piston valve, a laterally extending pin carried by said stem and projected through said slot in the wall of the vertical partition for engaging with said slidable valve plate to move the latter into open position when said piston valve is moved a predetermined distance from its seat, and a delivery conduit communicative-1y connect inp; with said uppercompartment above the piston disposed therein.

3. The combination with the steam chest of a locomotive engine, of casing sup ported thereon and divided by a vertical partition into a reservoir for a pressure fluid, and a valve chamber, said valve chamber being arranged in open communication at its lower end with the steam chest and being divided by a horizontal. partition into an upper compartment and a lower compait Hill ment, said upper compartment being provided with an outlet orifice adjacent to its upper end, said vertical partition being formed with a passage leading from the reservoir to the upper compartment and communicating with the latter at a point adjacent to its upper end, a slidable valve plate normally maintained in position to close said passage, a piston arranged for re ciprocation in the upper compartment below the orifices of said passage and of said outlet, apiston valve normally seated in the lower compartment, a stem extending through an opening in said horizontal partitionand connecting said piston and said piston valve, and means carried by said stem and engaging with said slidahle guide plate for moving the latter into open position when said piston valve has been moved downwardly in. the lower compartment a 20 certain distance.

BYRON L. HANSON. 

